Not yet. I'm not going to be really worried unles Halsted gives a CB to IllinoisGood, goooood. Any response? Ha.
Not yet. I'm not going to be really worried unles Halsted gives a CB to IllinoisGood, goooood. Any response? Ha.
If Illinois doesn't want their players poached from another state university, maybe they should worry about their own program first. Illinois has only made the tourney four times since they made it to the championship game 12 years ago and have not advanced past the round of 32. Their last tourney appearance was in 2013. Their program is going down in the dumps but their fanbase still thinks they're a better program than ISU. ISU is coming off of six straight tourney appearances, has a brand new practice facility, and Hilton is widely considered one of the top ten arenas in the country. Illinois fans are sitting there saying ISU is a "little brother", when Illinois is the older brother who is getting fat, going bald and working a lousy job. We are the little brother that's picking up all the ladies, moving up in the corporate world, and turning into the more successful of the two. Illinois fans are delusional if they think they deserve a recruit over us at this point in their program.I have no special inside information, I just follow Illinois recruiting fairly closely.
As I said yesterday, I will be very surprised — shocked even — if THT chooses Illinois. Even before Ayo committed he had essentially zero interest in Illinois. With Ayo? There’s just no way it happens, imo. The rift between the two camps is very real, and I’m honestly a little surprised that the Illinois staff would court such potential drama but... the kid IS damn good. Shifty, big bodied scorers like THT don’t grow on trees. And he’s a Simeon kid.
Illinois made his final list: 1) because it generates more local press for his announcement; and 2) out of respect for the Simeon/UI relationship. That’s the extent of it, imo.
We’ll all know soon enough, I guess.
P.S. Expect to see some press and a lot of fan angst (perhaps even panic) about an out of state program like ISU “poaching” a Simeon player. It will likely be seen as a threatening precedent by more than a few. That Simeon pipeline is a very sensitive topic because it’s one of the few CPL pipelines that Illinois has been able to maintain over the years and across different coaching regimes. As some here have correctly noted, Illinois fans are a little nuts. Hahaha.
Beat Iowa.
Nice post. Hope you're right, and hope you guys rebuild and beat up on the Fighting Richie Cunningham's over in Iowa City.
I'm pretty sure that Underwood is working on that.If Illinois doesn't want their players poached from another state university, maybe they should worry about their own program first. Illinois has only made the tourney four times since they made it to the championship game 12 years ago and have not advanced past the round of 32. Their last tourney appearance was in 2013. Their program is going down in the dumps but their fanbase still thinks they're a better program than ISU. ISU is coming off of six straight tourney appearances, has a brand new practice facility, and Hilton is widely considered one of the top ten arenas in the country. Illinois fans are sitting there saying ISU is a "little brother", when Illinois is the older brother who is getting fat, going bald and working a lousy job. We are the little brother that's picking up all the ladies, moving up in the corporate world, and turning into the more successful of the two. Illinois fans are delusional if they think they deserve a recruit over us at this point in their program.
If Illinois doesn't want their players poached from another state university, maybe they should worry about their own program first. Illinois has only made the tourney four times since they made it to the championship game 12 years ago and have not advanced past the round of 32. Their last tourney appearance was in 2013. Their program is going down in the dumps but their fanbase still thinks they're a better program than ISU. ISU is coming off of six straight tourney appearances, has a brand new practice facility, and Hilton is widely considered one of the top ten arenas in the country. Illinois fans are sitting there saying ISU is a "little brother", when Illinois is the older brother who is getting fat, going bald and working a lousy job. We are the little brother that's picking up all the ladies, moving up in the corporate world, and turning into the more successful of the two. Illinois fans are delusional if they think they deserve a recruit over us at this point in their program.
If Illinois doesn't want their players poached from another state university, maybe they should worry about their own program first. Illinois has only made the tourney four times since they made it to the championship game 12 years ago and have not advanced past the round of 32. Their last tourney appearance was in 2013. Their program is going down in the dumps but their fanbase still thinks they're a better program than ISU. ISU is coming off of six straight tourney appearances, has a brand new practice facility, and Hilton is widely considered one of the top ten arenas in the country. Illinois fans are sitting there saying ISU is a "little brother", when Illinois is the older brother who is getting fat, going bald and working a lousy job. We are the little brother that's picking up all the ladies, moving up in the corporate world, and turning into the more successful of the two. Illinois fans are delusional if they think they deserve a recruit over us at this point in their program.
I have no special inside information, I just follow Illinois recruiting fairly closely.
As I said yesterday, I will be very surprised — shocked even — if THT chooses Illinois. Even before Ayo committed he had essentially zero interest in Illinois. With Ayo? There’s just no way it happens, imo. The rift between the two camps is very real, and I’m honestly a little surprised that the Illinois staff would court such potential drama but... the kid IS damn good. Shifty, big bodied scorers like THT don’t grow on trees. And he’s a Simeon kid.
Illinois made his final list: 1) because it generates more local press for his announcement; and 2) out of respect for the Simeon/UI relationship. That’s the extent of it, imo.
We’ll all know soon enough, I guess.
P.S. Expect to see some press and a lot of fan angst (perhaps even panic) about an out of state program like ISU “poaching” a Simeon player. It will likely be seen as a threatening precedent by more than a few. That Simeon pipeline is a very sensitive topic because it’s one of the few CPL pipelines that Illinois has been able to maintain over the years and across different coaching regimes. As some here have correctly noted, Illinois fans are a little nuts. Hahaha.
Beat Iowa.
I want so much to believe what you are writing here, but I can't help but think that with the announcement occurring at Simeon, a pipeline for the Illini, in front of what I would guess are mostly Illinois fans, it would make sense that THT would be choosing Illinois. I don't know that I would want to put my self in the position to be a major disappointment to those around me while making a huge life decision. I may be one of the few, and I hope I am wrong, but I am leaning Illini for THT. Just a gut feeling, and I hope that I am wrong.
Meyer and Slater both picking Illinois. Idiots. He is going to ISU.
Agreed,Not yet. I'm not going to be really worried unles Halsted gives a CB to Illinois
I want so much to believe what you are writing here, but I can't help but think that with the announcement occurring at Simeon, a pipeline for the Illini, in front of what I would guess are mostly Illinois fans, it would make sense that THT would be choosing Illinois. I don't know that I would want to put my self in the position to be a major disappointment to those around me while making a huge life decision. I may be one of the few, and I hope I am wrong, but I am leaning Illini for THT. Just a gut feeling, and I hope that I am wrong.
Agreed,
Though Halstad was one that switched his Wiggington pick to Oregon too. It's not over until THT says it's over. He's been pretty quiet. I doubt Jerry has any inside info IMO.
LOL. Bobby Simmons, Derek Rose, Jabari Parker et. al. had no problem at all with it. Illinois kids announce from their high school against Illinois all the time. Heck,Cliff Alexander straight up pranked Illinois with the “hat trick” straight from Curie high school.
If you could feel my pain (haha) you’d realize that it’s done frequently. The list is long.
We’ll see but if he picks Illinois it will be the first genuine interest he has shown in Illinois during the entire process. Just not seeing it.
I must say you have certainly bravely put yourself out there several times claiming an ISU decision. I have NO clue what your reputation is concerning recruiting insight or if that even matters. I just hope you are right. Tugging at our recruiting hearts like this makes it all the more disappointing if you're not. (Or am I the only that fell for it hook, line, & sinker?)